Improvement in velocipede



dichiari gaat @anni (attire Letters Patent No. 95,325, dated September 28, 1869.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 0f the same.

To all whom it Imay concern Be it known that 1,'WILL'IAM II` COLEMAN, of the city of New Orleans, State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Velocipedes; and I do hereby-declare the following to he a full,

y clear, and exact description of the same, reference vbeing had to the annexed drawing, making a part of first with one foot and then with the other, inthe same alternate'manncr as when the machine is driven in the usual manner by pedals or cranks connected with the axis vof the driving-wheel, without any appreciable increase cf friction from the intermediate gearing I eniploy, in orderto obtain the said lever-power.v l

My arrangement is susceptible of such-modification that I may use a complete power-wheel that rotates continuously, or only a segment of a wheel which vibrates Within prescribed limits, or which makes apartial revolution, lirst in one and then in the reverse direction, accordingly as it is acting as the mediumto communicate power, or is returning toits first position to renew suchA operation.

But my invention will be .better understood by referring t`o the drawing, which shows it in boththe forms in which it can be arranged. i

1n order to apply my invention to a vclocipede, I

' provide, on each side of the driving-wheel A, a circular recess, B, in which three or more lpawl-notches or clutches a are cut into .the hub C, in such manner that pressure from a pawl, to be hereafter described, will rotate the said wheel'so as to carry the velocpede forward, and also so that cach of said clutches on each of the opposite sides of the wheel will occupy a relation which will be midway between that and the-two that are next to it, on each side of it, in order that the pawls respectively connected therewith may come alternately into action, and thus rotate the said driving-wheel continuously. v

On the axle, on each side of the hub, to which it will be understood the axle is permanently and immovably txed, driving-pinions D, only one of which is shown on the drawing, are fitted in such manner that they will readily revolve thereupon, and on each inner side of these pinions a circular projecting part, E, is provided, which its into the circular recesses B.

l To this projecting pari'- or sleeve one or more pawls b are secured, in recesses that are sunk inits perimeter, in such manner as not to interfere with the easy rotation of the pinions I? in one direction, while preventing its `rotation in the other bythe imp'mgement of their points against the clutches c, without, at the same time, rotating the driving-wheel A.

Outside thepinions D,- the two legs 'of an ordinary bifurcated standard, F, are secured on the axle of the driving-wheel A, in the usual way, to which the-bar G is attached, to connect the hind wheel with said driving-wheel, and support the riders seat I, as in the case ofall two-wheel velocipedes.

To the standard F, just below the point of its conf nection with bar G, is also secured a curved bar, J, that extends-down to a point at or near a line drawnA between the -axes of the driving-wheel A and h'ind wheel H, and is terminated by a circulaiexpansion, through which an aperture is made to receive the axis of a power cog-wheel, K, or power-segment of a wheel, L, the first being shown on the drawing by deeper shading at the rear of the latter, which overlaps and conceals the front half of the for-mer, and is, moreover, distinguished by lighter lines of shading.

Outside of the power-wheels K, or power-segments L, accordingly as the one or the other may be used, bars M connect the axis of the same with the .axis of the driving-wheel A, in Asuch manner as not to interferewith the easy rotation of the said wheels when the velocipedeis in motion, and so as to reinforce and sustain-the bars J at the same time. A

The wheels K, or segments L, as the -case may be, gear into the pinions D, so that when motion is given the former it is communicated to the latter,and through the action of the pawls b, against the clutches a, from the latter to the driving-wheel A also.

Vhen the wheels K are employed, the means for actuating them consist of two levers N, which, articulating on the axis of said wheels, independently of and extending rearward considerably beyond the perimeter of the same, constitute powerful pedal-levers for .the feet of the rider, and, by extending from lthe axis of the same frontward, and at an inclination upward, as shown, they provide a means also for establishing a connection with the bars M, through the helical springs O, which maintain'them'in proper position for operatingthe machine, whenever they are not forced out of such position by the foot of the rider, and brings them back into this position whenever the pressure of the foot of the rider is removed from oli" them.

rIhe re r or pedal extremities of the lever N, when used in connection with the wheels K, are provided with pawls d, which are lso arranged thatwhenever these extremities are forced down by the riders feet, they will take into the cogs of the power-wheels K, and force those wheels to rotate to the extent of the downward sweep of said extremities, at the pointsat which they (the pawls) are attached thereto, and inso- Inuch as the two levers are alternately operated, it follows that continuous rotation isimparted to the said power-wheel, and through the intermediate ygearing to the velocipede itself.

When Asegments L are used instead of wheels K, the mechanism is the same I have just described, except that the lever N is firmly secured to said segment, and cannot be moved independently thereof, and that no pawls d are used, because, instead of rotating, the segments vibrate within given limits, as they are alternatelyA pressed down to drive the lmachine forward by the rider-s feet, and thrown back into roper position for another impulsion `by the springs` which I neglected to state at the proper place, subserve the same purpose'- when the wheels K are used.

The extent of the levers N beyond the perimeter of the power\ vheel, or the length of the radius of the power-segment, necessarily gives me anincrease of power for propelling the` machine, which is precisely proportionate to the excess of length ofthe levers over the semi-diameter of the wheel, or the radius of 'the segment less, ofcourse, the loss resulting from the li'iction of the intermediate parts, which is almost inappreeiahle; and insoinnch as that power is always necessarily beyond what is possible when the pedals are connected directly to cranks on the axis of the driving-wheel, and may go very far beyond, it is obvious the machine may be driven with less muscular exertion, and at a much higher rate of speed than can in g-wheel.

Instead of using the ordinary crossarin for guiding my velocipede, I employ an arm, l?, extending toward the rear of the machine, to which I aflix a handle, It, which I find a far more convenient arrangement.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is

The wheels K, or their equivalents, the segments be attained by a direct pedal attachmcntto the (hiv- L, the levers N, pawls el, and springs O, in coinbina- 

